Device for successively filling individual containers by means of a container-intercepting plunger



INVENTOR.

HART

FRANK M HART 'Ilml'llmllmllnqlm I lll "m, H"

Feb. 6, 1951 DEVICE FOR SUCCESSIVELY FILLING INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS BYMEANS OF A CONTAINER-INTERCEPTING PLUNGER Filed April 26, 1948 PatentedFeb. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES OFFICE DEVICE FOR SUCCESSIVELY FILLING INDI-VIDUAL CONTAINERS BY MEANS OF A CONTAIN ER-INTERCEPTIN G PLUNGER 3Claims.

1 This invention relates to a bread pan feeding control for bakeries,and has for its principal object the provision of a simple and highlyefficient mechanism which will successively move bread pans intoposition to receive the loaf dough.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which can be quickly and easily applied to the present doughand pan conveyors used in bakeries.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency.

These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view illustrating the invention applied to conventionalbakery conveyors; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-section, taken on the line 2--2, Fig. 1.

In the drawing, a conventional endless belt dough conveyor is indicatedat It running round a terminal roller 25, with the loaves of doughthereon at M. An endless belt type pan conveyor is illustrated at 12.indicated at I 3, and in the usual bakery the pans are tied together insets of four by means of tie straps M.

In the usual construction, the pans it travel forwardly beneath thedough conveyor It, and the loaves of dough drop from the conveyor itinto the forwardly traveling pans. It is difficult, however, to spacethe dough on the conveyor ill properly so that each loaf of dough willdrop accurately into one of the pans. Therefore, it has been necessaryheretofore to keep an operator at this point to see that the pans areproperly filled.

This invention is designed to eliminate the need of an operator, and tomove the pans forwardly in exact position to receive each loaf of dough,regardless of the position or spacing of the loaves on the conveyor Ill.

The invention is supported on a vertical framework l5 secured at itsbottom to the frame of the pan conveyor l2 and extending upwardlythereover. Two bracket arms [6 extend forwardly from the framework [5and support a rotatable, horizontal hinge shaft I! immediately over thedischarge extremity of the conveyor Ill.

The bread pans are A swinging plate it depends from the shaft ll intothe path of the dough loaves H as they discharge from the conveyor illso that, as each dough loaf ll passes over the terminal roller 22; ofthe conveyor H3, it will swing the plate Hi to the dotted line positionof Fig. 1.

A switch operating arm is is fixedly mounted on one extremity of thehinge shaft I1 and terminates in a roller 2i. A push type switch 28,such as used on doors to open a circuit when a door is closed and havinga plunger 31 which when depressed opens the circuit of the switch iheplunger ill is mounted in the path of the roller 2'! so that the latterwill roll against the plunger to open the switch. The switch 23 is incircuit through conductors 28 with a solenoid 2i mounted in a mountingbracket 22 on the side of the conveyor 52. The conductors in terminatein a connection plug 36 by means of which they may be connected to anyavailable source of electricity.

The solenoid actuates an armature plunger 23 which, when extended,extends between the adjacent pans i 3 and prevents their movement withthe conveyor 52. The sets of four pans each are prevented from rotatingor turning on the conveyor by means of side guide bars 24 extendingalong both sides of the conveyor E2. The bars 2 2 are supported inadjustable mounting brackets 52% from the frame of the conveyor l2.

The plunger 23 is constantly urged outwardly to stop the pans it bymeans of a spring 25, and is withdrawn into the solenoid 2! out of thepath of the pans by electrically energizing the solenoid through theswitch 20.

Therefore, as each dough loaf Ii begins to roll over the terminal roller26 of the conveyor til, it will swing the plate id as shown in brokenline. This swings the roller 21, out of contact with the plunger at ofthe switch as to close the circuit to the solenoid 22. This causes thesole noid to snap the armature plunger 23 out of the path of the pans,allowing the next successive pan to move up to receive the falling doughloaf.

As soon as the dough has left the plate It, the latter swings back toroll the roller 21 against the switch plunger i i to break the circuit,allowing the spring 25 to force the armature forwardly to engage thenext empty pan and stop it below the falling dough, The conveyor l2slides beneath the pans when the latter are held stationary by theplunger 2|. As soon as the fourth pan of a set has been filled, theentire set of four pans is released and travels along the conveyor l2.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may bevaried, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed and desiredsecuredby Letters" Patentjs:

1. A device for moving breadpans successively beneath falling loaves ofdough, comprising a conveyor frame; an endless belt pan conveyor fbeltconveyor-terminating above the: pans" on the i first-conveyor 'andadapted to: carry. dough floaves; a" fixed frame 1 secured to saidconveyor" .frame and extendingabovethe discharge extremity: of *-said-'endless belt conveyor; a. horizontaliishaft :.engage said pansuand holdthem stationaryr=besupported by said frame overlthe.dischargezextr-emity'of the second conveyor a swinging:plate "dependingfrom said sha'ft into. the. path 1' of "the dough loaves discharging'from rsaid -second. "conveyoryand switch means ajctuatediby'saidswinging plate'y s'aid' 'swi'tch means being: in circuit with s'aidsolenoidto energize the latter each time'ssaid -platei is swung bycontact with a dough .iloaf.

'- 2'. In a bread-pan:fillingldevice of the type':hav

- ing a substantially horizontal dough loaf conveyor positioned-inalignment with and-termina'ting" over a'bre'ad pan conveyorr meansfor holding each successive-pan stationary on said pan conveyor as a'd'ough" loaf' falls from said dough F loaf conveyor, comprising:

frame member securedto 'the support of the pan a "vertical 4Q of saidshaft; a normally closed switch positioned adjacent said arm; anactuator projecting from said switch for opening the latter whendepressed, said actuator extending into the path 5 of said switchoperating arm and being positioned so that when said swinging plate isin a vertical position, said arm will hold said actuator (depressedandJsaid switchopengand when said '-"plate"is=' swung from the "verticalposition, said actuator will be released to close said'switch; sideguides on said pan conveyor preventing lateral mov-ement of the pansthereon; aspring-actuated plunger-extending through one of said sideIjguides below: said discharge extremity to en- 5 gage and hold a pantherebelow; and a solenoid positioned to act upon said spring-actuatedplunger-rte withdraw the latter from engagement with said pans to allowthe latter to move with (said-pan conveyor, said solenoid being incircuit with said switch so that swinging of said plate will actuate:said solenoid.

,3.;'I"he"combination witha dough conveyorzdeiilivering dough loaves toa pan'conveyorrcarrying :ibread pans; .of a plunger. adapted: tosuccessively neath the discharge of the dough conveyom a csolenoid.acting directly upon said;plunger .so-..that "when energized it willinstantly andzmagnetica-lly *withdraw' said' plunger. fromi' the path r'ofasaid pans; a swinging:plate suspended'inrthapathiof the adoughloavesasathey: discharge 'irom the dough: conveyor and circuit-closingmeansactuatedcby:theiswinging of said plate; said-; cir

cuit closing :means' being. in" circuit; with rsaid solenoid so that thelatter willzbeienergizedveach 'i'time saidz late is: swungfbyuthedischarging dough. a

FRANK M;,-HAR,T.

;:R.EFERENCES-=CITED The following references are'bf record in the "file'ofthis patent:

UNI'IEDJSTATESL PATENTS Number Name Date 1,357,476 "Rogersret al.L-'NOVL 2,)1920 i 2,337,526 'Steadrnan 'et al.. Dec. 21;1943;-.:2,390,195 Taschernh; QDecie; 1945 2,438,'811

Leisage Mar. 30;1948

